You Are Loved. You Are Safe. You Are Special.

Last year, a timid wobbler walked into our home with her caseworker on a dark, dreary December night. Her curly hair stood straight up, and her big brown eyes were wide and frightened. As her caseworker set her down, she stood for a moment...then slowly toddled over to me and put her arms up--the universal sign for "hold me." I reached down to lift her, and then wrapped my arms around her securely.

As I held her quietly, I thought, "you are loved. You are safe. You are special. We'll take care of you."

Hundreds of foster families and thousands of volunteers across the city and state do the same thing each day. Whether physically welcoming a child into their home, sitting with a child at a DHS office, or putting together a gift box for a child's most vulnerable moment.

Each time we show up, we're saying, "[Insert Any Child's Name], you are loved. You are safe. You are special. We'll take care of you.